The present invention generally relates to a lacrosse head for attachment to a lacrosse handle, and more particularly to a lacrosse head including generally v-shaped or triangular shaped ball stop.
Conventional lacrosse heads are constructed of an open frame having a ball stop joined with the base, a pair of sidewalls that diverge from the ball stop, and a scoop that connects the sidewalls, opposite the ball stop. The frame has string holes to secure a lacrosse net around the back side of the frame, leaving the opposing side of the frame open for catching or shooting a lacrosse ball. The lacrosse frame is attached to a handle by a throat that projects rearwardly from the base, with a socket formed in the throat for attachment to a handle.
To maximize ball retention in the lacrosse head, many head designs incorporate sidewalls that are narrowly spaced from one another. These sidewalls are joined at the ball stop near the throat of the head. While ball stops of older heads were formed as flat extensions connecting opposing sidewalls, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,578 to Brine, most newer ball stops are usually formed by a continuous curve of a semi-circular shape that generally corresponds to the diameter and curvature of a standard lacrosse ball. Such a design, which is shown in U.S. Pat. Reissue 38,216 to Morrow, allows the ball to nestle against the ball stop during game play, both maximizing ball retention and shot accuracy.
Other designs, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,756 to Ahlenfield are hybrids of the aforementioned designs, and generally include a frame with a flat ball stop that connects opposing sidewalls. A cushion including string holes is strung into the frame, adjacent the ball stop. The cushion, however, is curved to accept a lacrosse ball therein. While this construction is satisfactory, it sets the ball relatively high in the head, and generally requires that sidewalls be separated a substantial distance to accommodate the cushion and the ball. Moreover, the cushion takes a substantial amount of abuse due to repeated contact with a lacrosse ball, and can break down over time with such abuse.
In 2007, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) Men's Lacrosse Committee sought ways to address alleged safety concerns in the sport of lacrosse via the design of lacrosse heads. Many committee members believed that current lacrosse head designs did not allow the lacrosse ball to come out of net opening easily enough. As a result, players allegedly slashed and cross-checked other players' lacrosse sticks harder in an effort to dislodge the ball and create turnovers.
In response to these concerns, the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Committee proposed rule changes that would require the lacrosse heads to be configured to allow the lacrosse ball to come out of the head more easily, thereby reducing both the frequency and force of contact in the game. These rule changes are tentatively scheduled to go into effect in 2010 and be enforced in all NCAA Men's lacrosse competition.
One of the propose 2010 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Rules (referred to as the “Proposed Rules” herein), and in particular, Rule 1.17, addresses the minimum dimensional requirements between various portions of the sidewalls measured at a specific distance from the throat. Specifically, at distances of 1.25 and 3 inches, respectively, from the throat, particularly the ball stop, the minimum distance between the sidewalls must be 3 inches when measured between the front of opposing sidewalls (i.e., the ball receiving side) and 3 inches when measured between the rear surfaces of the sidewalls (i.e., the ball retaining side). At a distance of 5.0 inches from the throat, the minimum distance is 4.0 inches when measured between the front surfaces of the sidewalls (i.e., the ball receiving side) and 3.5 inches when measured between the rear surfaces of the sidewalls (i.e., the ball retaining side). Finally, the minimum distance at the widest point between the sidewalls is 6.5 inches on the front surfaces of the sidewalls, and 6.0 inches on the rear surfaces of the sidewalls.
The NCAA Men's Lacrosse Committee believes that the proposed rules will decrease ball retention during play. The proposed rules will also prohibit the use of currently legal head designs in NCAA competition. Although the proposed rules will help protect players against injury, players will continue to seek lacrosse heads which maximize ball retention while conforming to the new proposed NCAA rules. Therefore, lacrosse head designers face the challenge of constructing a head that conforms to the proposed 2010 NCAA dimensional requirements while still maximizing the ball retention for the player.